A. E. Vickery (Schooner), U13303, aground & sunk, 15 Aug 1889

THE WRECK OF THE VICKERY -- THE VESSEL MISSED STAYS AND WENT ON THE ROCKS.
Thousand Island Park, Aug. 17 - Special). - The schooner VICKERY of Chicago, which struck on a shoal off this place Thursday night (Aug. 15), is sunk in eighty feet of water. Nothing can be seen of the vessel but her topmasts, which stick a few feet out of water. At the time of the accident the VICKERY was sailing down river and was obliged to make a short tack to clear the shoal in front of the lighthouse. In coming about she missed stays and went on the rocks. The captain and crew were on deck at the time, with pilot Henry Webber of Clayton at the wheel. After striking the vessel remained clinging to the shoal for four hours when she slipped off the rock and sunk in deep water. The crew consisted of Captain Massey, the mate, cook and four seamen. Two women were also on board. They were cared for at the lighthouse and are now at Clayton with the captain and crew. The channel is very narrow and crooked there and the current strong. Preparations for raising the vessel are already being made.
      Oswego Palladium
      Saturday, August 17, 1889

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      A Schooner Wrecked near Thousand Island Park.
      ( Special Correspondence of the Standard)
FRONTENAC, N.Y., Aug. 16. - At 10:30 o¹clock last evening the large three masted schooner VICKERY of Chicago struck on a shoal off Rock Island light house, just opposite Thousand Island Park and after hanging to the rocks for four hours, sank in about 80 feet of water. She was sailing down the river and had to make a tack to clear the light house, but missed stsys in coming about and went onto the rocks.
A stiff breeze was blowing at the time and she struck hard. The captain and crew were on deck at the time with Pilot Henry Webber of Clayton at the helm. The crew saved all their effects and no one was injured. The VICKERY is owned by Vickery & Co. of Chicago and valued at $20,000. She had a cargo of 21,000 bushels of conr, valued at $10,000 which will be a total loss. it was consigned to J.B. Wiser of Prescott. Nothing can now
be seen of the vessel except her topmast heads.
      Her crew consisted of Capt. Massey, mate, cook and four men, all of whom are now at Clayton awaiting orders. Two ladies were aboard. They were taken off and cared for at at the light house station on Rock Island. The point where she struck is one of the most dangerous on the river and has been the scene of a number of wrecks. The channel is very narrow and crooked there and the current strong. Preparations for raising the vessel are already being made.
      Syracuse Daily Standard
      August 17, 1889
     
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      It is reported that the schooner A. E. VICKERY with grain from Chicago is sunk in the St. Lawrence near Clayton.
      Buffalo Evening News
      Saturday, August 17, 1889

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      THE SCHOONER VICKERY
      The Schooner and Cargo Regarded as a Total Loss
Captain Bauprey of the schooner WATERTOWN and Captain Flemming of the tug SEYMOUR report that they passed the wreck of the schooner VICKERY. They say that it is a total loss. The schooner struck on the lighthouse island and swung around, and then slid off into deep water. The wreck lies on the south side of the "Narrows" and went ashore about 10 o'clock Thursday night.
The stern is in the water about 100 feet deep, the mizzen topmast being entirely submerged. By the appearance of the foremast Captain Beaupry thinks the bow is about eighty-five feet under water and that the
wreck lies on the bank at an angle of about forty five degrees. The wreck has been abandoned and no wreckers are called for. The VICKERY had on board 21,000 bushels of corn for Wiser of Prescott.
      Oswego Daily Times
      Saturday, August 17, 1889

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WRECKED ON THE RIVER -- Fisher's Landing, Aug. 23. -- The three masted schooner A. VICKERY, with 21,000 bushels of corn for cargo, bound for Prescott from Chicago, struck a shoal near the Rock Island light house near Fisher's Landing, Thursday night, August 15. The schooner left Chicago August 5, and arrived at Clayton Thursday night. Here she took on a pilot to take her through the river. Henry Webber, Jr., of Clayton, was the pilot employed. The vessel struck the shoal at 10:15 p.m., and filled and sank quickly. The crew escaped in the small boats and remained at the lighthouse all night, coming to Clayton the next morning.
      She was owned by J. T. Vickery, of Chicago, and was valued at $12,000. The grain was consigned to A. Wiser, of Prescott. John Massey was the captain and L. Massey was the mate. There were four other sailors. At two o'clock Friday morning the vessel drifted away from the shoal and sank in deep water, just showing her spars. The vessel was partially insured; the grain entirely so. Captain Massey has abandoned her, leaving the insurance companies to decide as to whether they will raise her or not
      Watertown Herald
      Saturday, August 24, 1889

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      The masts have been taken out of the schooner VICKERY, wrecked near Thousand Island Park last season.
      Toronto Globe
      April 10, 1890
     
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      One of the U.S. Marshals is investigating the prospect of removing the spars from the sunken schooner VICKERY in the canal opposite the Thousand Island Park.
      Daily British Whig, Kingston
      April 25, 1890

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U.S. Marshal Mattoon had a peculiar experience the other day. He went to seize the schooner A.E. VICKERY, libeled by Alexander Bain for wreckage etc., the amount claimed being $902.79 The VICKERY was sunk in August last on the head of Well's Island. The question was how to make the seizure of a vessel which is out of sight. In this dilemma Mr. Bain produced a suit of diving armour which Mr. Mattoon put on and went down to the vessel and made the seizure in true naval style. Not finding a convenient place upon which to affix his notice, he came up again and placed it upon a tree near at hand. Mr. Mattoon also found and took possession of the tackle, etc., saved from the wreck and gave it in charge of Mr. Essletynn of Clayton.
      Daily British Whig, Kingston
      April 26, 1890



     
Schooner J.B. PENFIELD. U. S. No. 13303, of 291.84 tons gross; 277.25 tons net. Home port, Chicago, Ill. Changed name to A.E. VICKERY on February 25, 1884.
      List of Vessels Whose Names Have been
      Changed under the Act of March 2, 1881
      U. S. Merchant vessel List, 1885